It’s been a difficult start to the 2020 cropping season. A wet autumn meant that the country’s winter cereal area plummeted to around half of 2019’s area. While a handful of growers were able to plant all of their planned winter area, many more have failed to plant any winter crops.

As well as an increased workload this spring, we are likely to see a substantial increase in spring crop plantings this year. As a result, there has been much talk of the high demand for spring cereal seed this season and the pressure this will put on supplies.

From talking to growers and the trade, many spring seed orders have already been placed with deliveries now under way.

Winter cereals in spring

But sowing winter cereals is still an option for January and February, more so winter wheat than barley. For some soil types, even late-sown winter wheat can out-perform spring barley and wheat. Other growers may feel that they have to sow an amount of winter crops in order to comply with the three-crop rule.

As well as an increased workload this spring, we are likely to see a substantial increase in spring crop plantings

However, this is not the case. Remember that all winter cereal varieties sown from 1 January 2020 are counted as spring cereals for the purposes of the three-crop rule so do not base a decision to plant on this.

The risk associated with planting true winter cereal varieties in spring is the climatic conditions required for vernalisation. Germinated winter cereals need exposure to low temperatures in order to trigger flowering. As we edge closer to February and temperatures rise, the risk to vernalisation increases.

Spring cereal seed supply could be tight this season.

In terms of spring cereal seed supply, the trade suggest that at least 10,000ha of winter cereals will have to be planted in January and February to alleviate the pressure on current supplies. Others have suggested a figure as high as 30,000ha.

This figure will be influenced by the progress of winter wheat planting in the UK and the subsequent demand for spring seed there. Some winter cereal planting has still been taking place in parts of the UK throughout January but progress has been relatively limited.

Winter wheat

On many soils, there are few alternatives that can out-perform late or spring-sown winter wheat. Unfortunately, it is these soils which are most likely to have not been sown last autumn.

The breeders of the varieties on this year’s recommended winter wheat list state that they are suitable for January planting with the exception of KWS Conros.

The breeders have all stated the end of January as the latest safe date to sow the varieties with the exception of Torp (Table 1). However, many growers will have sown winter wheat until mid-February in the past and still achieved good yields.

Winter wheat is still an option for January and February sowing.

Sowing beyond mid-February has been also been done with reasonable success, although the risk to vernalisation increases significantly. But every year is different and there has been limited trial work into spring-sown winter wheat so weigh up your options carefully.

When choosing varieties to plant this spring, consider the impact of a late winter maturing crop on your harvest operation as well as the implications it will have on nitrogen, PGR and disease control programmes. Table 1 outlines suggested seed rates, all of which are around 400 to 450 seeds/m2 depending on seed size.

Winter barley and oats

While winter barley will vernalise comfortably in January, the yield penalty from sowing that late is too significant to justify. With that said, some growers may still take the chance and sow an amount of the crop depending on their situation. Most oat varieties with the expectation of RGT Southwark can be sown in spring.

Read more

Tillage management: dealing with 2019’s damaged soils

AFBI and UCD to lead new €8m EU-funded crop variety programme